2011 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution

AFTER FILLING UP ON GASOLINE, MY 4 YEAR OLD MENTIONED THAT SHE SMELLED GAS IN THE CAR. I IMMEDIATELY GOT HOME AND PULLED INTO MY GARAGE AND SMELLED IT, TOO. THEN NEXT MORNING, MY GARAGE WAS OVERWHELMED WITH THE FUMES. AFTER HAVING A MECHANIC INSPECT THE CAR, HE FOUND GAS WAS LEAKING FROM THE TOP OF THE TANK, WHERE THE FUEL PUMP GOES. APPARENTLY, IT WAS COMPLETELY CORRODED, WHICH CAUSED THE PLASTIC FUEL PUMP HOUSING ATTACHED TO IT TO CRACK AND SUBSEQUENTLY LEAK FUEL EVERYWHERE. THIS FUEL PUMP HOUSING IS LOCATED DIRECTLY BENEATH MY SON'S CAR SEAT, ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE BACK SEAT. THIS IS A SERIOUS FIRE HAZARD. AFTER REACHING OUT TO OTHER OWNERS OF THE SAME VEHICLE, APPARENTLY THIS CORROSION IS VERY COMMON. BUT MY CAR IS NOT EVEN 6 YEARS OLD, WITH ONLY 48K MILES (PURCHASED IT NEW ON 12/27/2011). THIS SHOULDN'T BE HAPPENING ON SUCH A RELATIVELY NEW CAR.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 MITSUBISHI LANCER EVOLUTION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL FUEL ODOR WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS OPERATED AT ANY SPEED. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WITHOUT WARNING. THE DEALER COULD NOT DIAGNOSE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 44,000.

ACD/AYC PUMP HAS COMPLETELY STOP WORKING IN MY VEHICLE. I TOOK MY VEHICLE TO BE SERVICE AND THE PERSON WHO WAS DOING THE SERVICE ON MY CAR TOLD ME THAT THE ACD/AYC PUMP HAS GONE OUT AND I NEED A REPLACEMENT. I FOUND THAT WEIRD, BECAUSE I HAVE NOT DRIVEN MY CAR FOR ROUGHLY ABOUT A MONTH AND FOR AN ISSUE TO POP UP WAS VERY WEIRD. AFTER DOING RESEARCH, I SEEMS THAT MULTIPLE PEOPLE HAVE THE SAME ISSUE WERE THESE PUMPS GO OUT UNEXPECTED. THERE ARE ONLY 1400-1600 OF THESE CARS MADE YEAR IN THE STATES AND TO SEE MANY PEOPLE HAVE THIS PROBLEM IN THE U.S. AND AROUND THE WORLD MIND BOGGLING TO MANY OF US. MITSUBISHI NEEDS TO FIND ANOTHER SOLUTION OR REMEDY TO THIS ISSUE. SINCE I LIVE IN THE SOUTH, MY LOCAL DEALERSHIP IS NOT WANTING TO COVER THIS AND I TRAVEL ALONG THE EAST COAST WITH MY CAR.

THE AYC PUMP FAILED BY DISPLAYING A BLINKING TARMAC LIGHT. IT CONSTANTLY FLASHES WHILE DRIVING. THE AYC PUMP CORRELATES WITH THE STEERING AND STABILITY CONTROL FOR THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL. THIS IS A BIG HAZARD. THE AYC PUMP SHOULD BE RELOCATED TO THE TRUNK COMPARTMENT SO IT IS NOT EXPOSED TO WEATHER CONDITIONS LIKE SNOW AND RAIN. THIS WILL PROTECT THE AYC PUMP FROM FAILING. THE WARRANTY WILL NOT COVER THIS FAILED PUMP AT ALL. *TR

TARMAC ICON BLINKS INCESSANTLY ON THE DISPLAY PANEL, AS ONE DRIVES. THE BLINKING CAN CAUSE PHOTOSENSITIVE EPILEPSY (PSE), WHICH IS A FORM OF EPILEPSY SEIZURES TRIGGERED BY VISUAL STIMULI THAT FORM PATTERNS IN TIME OR SPACE, SUCH AS FLASHING LIGHTS, BOLD, REGULAR PATTERNS, OR REGULAR MOVING PATTERNS. I FOUND OUT LATER, THE BLINKING IS AN INDICATOR THE ACD PUMP - ACTIVE CENTER DIFFERENTIAL - IS FAILING AND IT'S ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE THE COMPONENT COMPLETELY GIVES OUT. MANY, MANY INDIVIDUALS FROM THE COMMUNITY EXPERIENCES THE ACD PUMP FAILURE DUE TO DESIGN AND PLACEMENT OF THE COMPONENT IN AN INOPPORTUNE LOCATION. AS SUCH, CORROSION FROM MOISTURE AND SALT DEPOSIT ON THE ROAD CAN EASILY INFILTRATE INTO THE PUMP COMPONENT, CAUSING FAILURE IN DUE TIME. FURTHER POOR SEALING, LACK OF WEATHER PROTECTION (ANTI-CORROSION SPRAY) AND POOR PLACEMENT ALL CONTRIBUTES TO THE SYSTEMATIC, PREMATURE FAILURE OF A $1500 PUMP. *TR

MONDAY MORNING I WARMED UP MY CAR FOR 5 MINUTES. STARTED TO DRIVE MY CAR FOR ABOUT 15 SECONDS, AWD SERVICE REQUIRED POPPED UP ON MY DISPLAY. I STOPPED THE CAR AND BROUGHT IT BACK HOME. LOOKED UP WHAT THE ISSUE COULD BE AND FOUND OUT THAT THE ACD PUMP HAS FAILED. THIS IS A WELL KNOWN PROBLEM FROM MITSUBISHI FOR THESE CARS AND THEY HAVE NOT ISSUED A RECALL OR REAL FIX. WITHOUT THE ACD PUMP FUNCTIONING, THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT THE CAR CAN LOSE TRACTION IN CERTAIN SITUATIONS OR DAMAGE THE ENTIRE DRIVETRAIN SYSTEM. MITSUBISHI CLAIMS THAT ITS NOT PART OF THE DRIVETRAIN SO THERE IS NO WARRANTY AND IT'S ALSO A "LUXURY" SYSTEM. CONTROLLING WHEEL TRACTION IS NOT A LUXURY ITS A SAFETY FEATURE. *TR

WHEN COLD TEMPERATURE COMES (AROUND 20F) OR BELOW YOU CAN HEAR A VERY LOUD WHINE COMING FROM THE AYD/ACD PUMP LOCATED IN THE PASSENGER SIDE WHEEL WELL WHEN FIRST STAYING VEHICLE. WHEN THIS HAPPENS THERE WILL BE A MOMENT WHERE THE TARMAC/GRAVEL/SNOW INDICATOR LIGHTS ON THE DASHBOARD BLINK AND PUTS THE PUMP INTO FAILSAFE MODE. IF YOU DRIVE WHILE THE PUMP IS IN FAILSAFE MODE THE HANDLING IS TERRIBLE AND ANY ENGINE BRAKING IS NON EXISTENT. OVER THE PAST FEW WINTERS I HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS UP UNTIL THIS WRITE UP. NOW IN WARMER WEATHER (70F) OR ABOVE THE PUMP IS STUCK IN FAIL SAFE MODE AND DOES NOT RETURN TO NORMAL OPERATION LIKE IT SOMETIMES WOULD IN WINTER MONTHS. THIS PUMP PROVIDES THE FRONT AND REAR DIFFERENTIAL ASSEMBLY WITH THE FLUID NEEDED TO PROVIDE NORMAL AND ADEQUATE DRIVING. VEHICLE NOW HAS 41000 MILES AND NEEDS THIS PUMP REPLACED WHICH IS JUST OVER 2,000 USD. AFTER MUCH RESEARCH, I HAVE FOUND WEATHER AND/OR SALT/SANDY ROADS TO CAUSE PREMATURE FAILURE OF THIS PUMP. I BELIEVE MY PUMP WENT AS A COMBINATION OF BOTH BECAUSE OF POOR PLACEMENT BY MITSUBISHI TO LOCATE THIS PUMP JUST BEHIND THE PASSENGER REAR WHEEL UNDER THE VEHICLE. I NOW HAVE A HEFTY BILL TO LOOK FORWARD TO EVERY 3-4 YEARS IN PUMP REPLACEMENT COSTS ALONE IF I KEEP THIS HAZARD OF A CAR. *TR

MY CAR BEGAN TO HAVE A FLASHING ACTIVE YAW CONTROL LIGHT ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT AYC/ACD PUMP WAS FAILING DUE TO SEVERE CORROSION. WHEN THIS HAPPENS, THE AWD STOPS FUNCTIONING, SO THE CAR IS NOW IN TWO WHEEL DRIVE MODE. MITSUBISHI MOUNTED THE AYC PUMP IN THE REAR FENDERWELL AREA WHERE IT IS OPENLY EXPOSED TO THE WINTER ELEMENTS SUCH AS SNOW, SALT AND SAND. THIS IS A VERY WELL KNOWN PROBLEM AND THE DEALER I WENT TO HAS DONE ABOUT 6 CARS IN THE LAST MONTH OR SO JUST FOR THIS PROBLEM. THE CAR WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL MITSUBISHI DEALER FOR WARRANTY REPAIR. THE DEALER WAS VERY HELPFUL AND WAS GOING TO REPLACE THE PUMP UNDER WARRANTY, BUT WHEN WAS DENIED THE REQUEST DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE ENGINE HAD HAD A "TUNE" ON IT. SO, THE PUMP WILL HAVE TO BE REPAIRED AT COST TO MYSELF. THE REASON I AM BRINGING THIS TO YOUR ATTENTION IS BECAUSE THIS IS A VERY APPARENT DESIGN FLAW. PLACING A CRITICAL PART LIKE THIS PUMP OPENLY EXPOSED TO SNOW, SALT AND SAND THROWN UP BY THE TIRES WHICH IN TURN CORRODES THE PUMP, IS A SAFETY HAZARD. THIS STOPS THE AWD TO FUNCTION AND RENDERS THE CAR TO BE ONLY DRIVEN IN TWO WHEELED DRIVE MODE WHEN THE CAR IS IN FACT, DESIGNED FOR ALL WHEEL DRIVE. THERE ARE SO MANY WELL DOCUMENTED CASES OF THIS PROBLEM, AT SOME POINT IN TIME, MITSUBISHI WILL HAVE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THIS AND DO SOMETHING TO MITIGATE THE SEVERE CORROSION OF THE AYC PUMP.